Inverter maker to bring 70 jobs here

OCI Solar Power will partner with a German solar inverter manufacturer to bring 70 jobs to San Antonio.

The company, called KACO new energy, will set up a factory and offices as part of the commitment to create 800-plus jobs locally for CPS Energy's 400-megawatt solar project, expected to supply electricity for about 70,000 households.

The company has set a target date of June to start producing its solar inverters, which convert solar electricity into power that can be used in homes.

It's the third partnership announcement from OCI, which won the CPS solar contract this year.

Frank Almaraz, vice president of corporate development and planning for CPS, said OCI has flexibility in choosing partners for the 400-megawatt project, but noted that KACO has a long history of manufacturing inverters and has operations around the world.

“I don't think they could have picked a better partner,” Almaraz said. “They have a track record for innovative manufacturing processes and facilities. We're excited we're going to bring that and the 70 jobs to San Antonio.”

No details were released about average wages for KACO workers.

“OCI Solar Power and its partners are committed to attracting the very best talent to our organizations; we offer competitive compensation packages,” OCI spokeswoman Amy McCool said in an email.

Under the terms of the deal with CPS, OCI Solar guaranteed 800 permanent jobs with an average salary of $47,000.

The deal calls for the construction of five solar plants around the state over the next four years.

The first, a 50-megawatt plant, will be built in San Antonio, and should come online next year. A second plant, producing 35 megawatts, will be built in an adjacent county.

The third, producing 105 megawatts, will be built within 120 miles of San Antonio.

The construction's final phases call for a 105-megawatt plant to be built in West Texas and another 105-megawatt plant to be built in North Texas.

As part of the project, OCI Solar Power this year moved its corporate headquarters to San Antonio.

In July, Nexolon America LLC announced it would establish a $100 million manufacturing operation on the South Side to build solar panels. Nexolon America also is establishing its North American headquarters here.

In October, OCI Enterprises finalized a joint venture with ERCAM Energy of Spain to create a dual-axis solar tracker manufacturing facility here. Solar trackers follow the sun as it rotates from the east to the west to increase the energy output from solar panels and solar receivers. The dual-axis panels also can track the movement of the sun in the sky through the seasons.

The OCI-ERCAM venture will create about 130 jobs.

The first 50 megawatts of solar energy will be fed into the San Antonio grid by late 2013, and the full 400 megawatts will be online by 2016.